Women’s March co-founder Linda Sarsour and Minn. Rep. Ilhan Omar have both expressed blatant anti-Semitism on more than one occasion — even to progressives who generally are sympathetic to the Palestinian cause.

Writing for The New York Times, Michelle Goldbergreminds us that when America was unsettled over a crude mail bomb being found in the mailbox of George Soros, Representative Kevin McCarthy, the California Republican who is now the House minority leader, tweeted, “We cannot allow Soros, Steyer and Bloomberg to buy this election!” Interviewed on CNN about receiving his own mail bomb, Steyer described McCarthy’s tweet as a “straight-up anti-Semitic move.”

There was no self-reflection, then, when Kevin McCarthy became a defender of Jews, threatening to force congressional action against two outspoken new Democratic representatives, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, for their criticism of Israel. Rather than rise above Kevin McCarthy, Omar found herself in the same sewer, quoting Puff Daddy’s ode to the power of money: “It’s all about the Benjamins, baby.” When an editor at The Forward, a Jewish publication, asked who Omar thinks is paying American politicians to be pro-Israel, she responded, “Aipac!,” meaning the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the United States’ most prominent pro-Israel lobby.

In the aftermath of her Monday afternoon public rebuke by Democratic leadership, the Minnesota representative Omar apologized. Many Democrats challenged her sincerity, but my focus is the same as Goldberg’s: Ilhan Omar damaged her Democratic allies and squandered some of her own hard-won power. In my opinion, she also embarassed her adult constituents, their children and other Somali refugees. I doubt she understands the extent to which she has damaged her power — and women fight very hard for that power in Washington. As we noted yesterday, it’s not the first apology that Rep. Omar has made about her anti-Semitism.

Many of us don’t like Aipac and the emergence of an increasingly powerful — dominant actually — right-wing in Israel. Goldberg writes: “. . . at a moment when activists have finally pried open space in American politics to question our relationship with Israel, it’s particularly incumbent on Israel’s legitimate critics to avoid anything that smacks of anti-Jewish bigotry. And the idea of Jews as global puppet masters, using their financial savvy to make the gentiles do their bidding, clearly does. “

The blatant anti-Semitism of Linda Sarsour and Tamika Mallory of The Women’s March left heads spinning among Jewish and most progressive women during most of 2018. Hammering against all white American women in general, Sarsour and Mallory also condemned any American Jewish woman who wasn’t willing to denounce Israel in support of the Palestinians. To use Goldberg’s words: “that’s a bit rich”, especially by Mallory who refuses to criticize her friend, the ragingl anti-Semite Reverend Louis Farrakhan, who she calls the GOAT.

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) with fellow lawmakers ahead of President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address, at the Capitol in Washington, Feb. 5, 2019. Image: Minneapolis Star Tribune via Erin Schaff New York Times

In a dramatic statement delivered on Monday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democratic leaders are calling on Minn. Rep Ilhan Omar to apologize for tweeting the strong suggestion that political donations drive politiciams’ support for Israel.

In the dramatic statement, House Democratic leadership said that while "legitimate criticism of Israel's policies is protected by the values of free speech and democratic debate," Omar's "use of anti-Semitic tropes and prejudicial accusations about Israel's top supporters is deeply offensive."

Omar is facing fresh criticism and scrutiny, including from some of the most powerful members of her own party, after using language in a tweet condemned as a "vile anti-Semitic trope."

The Democratic congresswoman shared a tweet Sunday on House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy pledging to take "action" in response to her support of movements to boycott and sanction Israel over its treatment of Palestinians. "It's all about the Benjamins baby," she wrote, adding a musical note emoji.

The line comes from a 1997 Puff Daddy song and drew immediate criticism from local Minnesota and national leaders, with some issuing calls to remove her from her position on the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel said it is "shocking to hear a member of Congress invoke the anti-Semitic trope of 'Jewish money.'" Engel, who is a Jewish New York Democrat, did not address calls to have Omar removed from his committee.

Locally, the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas condemned the tweet, saying the language "should have no place in politics."

"Such rhetoric puts our community in danger," read the statement, which added that it's insulting "to falsely suggest that elected officials only support Israel because they are paid to do so."

In a follow-up tweet, the freshman congresswoman said she was referencing the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee, a powerful pro-Israel lobbying organization. While all acknowledge that pro-Israel lobbying supports candidates in both parties, AIPAC is a nonprofit forbidden from making political candidate contributions.

"We should expect all elected officials, regardless of party, and all public figures to not traffic in anti-Semitism," Chelsea Clinton, whose husband is Jewish, tweeted.

Fellow freshman Democratic Rep. Max Rose of New York called the comments "deeply hurtful to Jews, including myself," according to Politico. Two other Democratic representatives wrote a letter to congressional leaders saying they are "deeply alarmed by the language," according to the Washington Post. "We urge you to join us in calling on each member of our Caucus to unite against anti-Semitism and hateful tropes and stereotypes," they wrote.

GOP groups, including the National Republican Congressional Committee, blasted Omar over the remarks. Minnesota Republican Party Chairwoman Jennifer Carnahan called on Minnesota Democrats, including Sen. Amy Klobuchar, to denounce the remarks and said House leadership should strip the freshman congresswoman of her committee assignments. Sen. Klobuchar’s office has not responded.

"It's clear that congresswoman Ilhan Omar harbors deep-seated anti-Semitic views," Carnahan said in a statement. "There's no place for this in Congress or among our Minnesota congressional delegation."

The Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas echoed those calls for rebuke.

"We completely agree with Ambassador Dan Shapiro that Rep. Omar's 'outrageous comments equating politicians' support for Israel with being bought off by American Jewish money are a vile anti-Semitic trope," the group said. "They need to be condemned by all in our party."

Jonathan A. Greenblatt, CEO and national director of the Anti-Defamation Leauge, cited that record in joining calls for House leadership to respond, saying the latest tweets are "part of a disturbing pattern of behavior that must end."

"Unfortunately, making insensitive statements toward the Jewish community is not new for Rep. Omar ... The congresswoman needs to understand that these comments promote dangerous stereotypes and are hurtful to her Jewish constituents and Jewish-Americans throughout the country," Greenblatt's statement read.

A spokesman for Omar did not immediately respond to the Star Tribune's request for comment on the latest backlash. Her office told Politico that the tweets "speak for themselves."

The epic movie ‘Schindler’s List’ is being released into theaters to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Oscar-winning film that debuted Dec. 15, 1993. ‘Schindler’s List’ — which won seven Oscars, including for best picture, director, adapted screenplay and original score — will be rereleased in a limited engagement on Friday.

Director Steven Spielberg sat down for an interview with ‘NBC Nightly News’ anchor Lester Holt that will air Wednesday, Dec. 12th.

"I think this is maybe the most important time to rerelease this film," said Spielberg, according to a transcript of the interview released ahead of its broadcast. The motion picture about Nazi Germany and the Holocaust may be more important now due to the global rise in hate crimes, hate speech and propaganda — including in America.

Holt and Spielberg discuss the August 2017 Charlottesville, Virginia murder of 32-year-old Heather Heyer, as she protested a white supremacist rally. President Donald Trump — who has been accused of racism in the past, writesThe Hollywood Reporter — inflamed outrage by saying there were "very fine people on both sides" of the tragic Charlottesville event.

Hate crimes increased by 17 percent last year compared to 2016, according to a new FBI report. Notably, of the 1,679 religious bias crimes reported in 2017, 58.1 percent were anti-Jewish, while 18.6 percent were anti-Muslim.

"I think it's just that — you know, hate has become less of — hate's less parenthetical today, it's more a headline," said Spielberg.

Coming Soon

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